Functional strength training is basically using exercises in your workouts that transfer to real life in a practical way. Think about your training program – especially if you’re into bodybuilding. Will tricep extensions carry over to real life? What about chest crossovers? Leg extensions? Leg curls? No, they won’t. Even the ever-popular bench press offers very little in the way of practical use. None of these will be much use to you as you carry bags of mulch from the front yard to the back, help a friend move, or play your sport of choice.

Functional strength is where the rubber meets the road. The main problem with bodybuilding is that the focus is mainly on looks, and not on practical usage. A good functional program will offer real-world strength – with the side-effect of looking like you’re in great shape. Focus on health and strength and the looks will follow (with a good diet, of course). The opposite is not necessarily true. Building functional strength is what will help your body stay healthy and strong as you get older.

One of the major reasons this is true is because functional exercises teach your body to operate as one piece. Bodybuilding routines (which often focus on isolation exercises) break the body up into parts: chest, back, arms, legs, abs, etc. This is the opposite of what needs to happen. Training your body to work as a single unit also works your all-important stabilizer muscles. This ties everything together for strength you can actually use.

So, how do we incorporate functional strength into our workouts? Here are a few ways:

• Use unilateral movements. These are exercises where you move each side independently of the other. Dumbbells and kettlebells are great for this.
• Stay on your feet. Exercises where you stay on your feet are great for building functional strength. Add drills like standing overhead presses and deadlifts to your routine. These two examples will carry over directly to picking things up from the ground, all the way through lifting them overhead. Exercises where you sit or lie down don’t carry over much, if at all.
• Use free weights instead of machines. Machines are unnatural and force your body to move in a fixed plane. This completely removes functionality from the movement, and can even be dangerous if the machine’s plane of movement overly kinks your body’s natural groove.
• Use odd objects. You don’t have to go crazy here, but simply adding a sandbag to your routine can work wonders. Rocks, logs, kegs, bags of chains, a slosh pipe – anything that is unwieldy and hard to handle will work wonders on your stabilizers, and force your body to work as one piece. This is a step beyond free weights.
• Use multi-joint movements. This is almost a no-brainer for this type of program, however it warrants mentioning. Large, full-body movements are in order. Drills like deadlifts, squats, bent-over rows, and standing overhead presses are great for this.

Obviously, using odd object lifting will be one of the most effective ways to bring functionality into your training. After all, in real life you’re rarely having to lift nicely balanced objects like barbells. If you want to learn how to create an effective routine for building real-world functional strength, The Underground Strength Manual looks like a good, complete course. Or, if you just want to focus on sandbag training, check out The Caveman’s Fitness Guide, or Sandbag Strength.

Let me say that at first, I was a little skeptical about the quality of the video. Since it was shot at a kettlebell workshop, I was expecting poor quality video and sound. However, I have no problem at all. The workshop was held indoors, so there are no outdoor sounds to muck it up. Both the video and audio are professional grade – as is the production. I’ve had no problems with the DVDs themselves, the menus, or anything else.

Now I haven’t read all of the information about it on Mike’s site – I just went ahead and ordered it. But I just gave the description a quick look, and it gives you a lot more details than I’m going to put here. You can get there by clicking here: Boys Are Back in Town Kettlebell Workshop DVD.

So, I really just wanted to give a quick overview of what’s actually on the DVDs. I own the set and have watched it. Admittedly, I haven’t absorbed it all – I’ve only seen it once. At any rate, here goes.

Here’s a basic overview of what’s in the set, broken down by instructor:

Mike Mahler

Mike has two sections in the DVD set. First up is on kettlebell training. The focus is on power and speed, and the techniques he uses are just about the polar opposite of what I’ve learned. But, different purpose, different technique. It has actually changed the way I’ve been thinking about kettlebell training – and I’m not just saying that. While slow grinds have their place, I’m going to change the way I do things for a while after watching this.

Mike’s second section is on optimizing hormones. To be honest this was the first thing I watched, and that was because it was already almost midnight and I wanted to watch something that I wouldn’t get too wrapped up in because I wanted to get to bed. I must say that I ended up staying up until 1:00 am watching the whole section. It was very interesting stuff, and he gives some practical things you can do to optimize your hormone levels – and why you’d want to.

Steve Maxwell

Steve also has two sections, and both are basically about joint mobility and core strength. The first section is general mobility with bodyweight only. Everything from the basics to advanced mobility drills. If you’ve seen Steve’s Spartan 300 videos, this touches on at least some of that.

The other section starts with joint mobility using the kettlebell. From there he goes into some of the more positionally-awkward kettlebell drills like the windmill, Turkish get-up, overhead squat, bent press, and the Gladiator. He’s also got a few other core-specific drills.

Steve Cotter

Steve Cotter also has two sections, but basically covers four topics. There’s a section on “Effortless Motion”, which goes into some athletic drills for efficiency and speed of movement. It’s really good stuff, especially for athletes (obviously). But who doesn’t want to be a little more spry? The other non-kettlebell teaching is on Chi Gong. He really just covers some basics. I know nothing about Chi Gong, so won’t really try to describe anything. Suffice it to say that he discusses the benefits of Chi Gong, deep breathing exercises, and shows some basics to get you started.

The other two topics involve kettlebells. Basically, he covers the snatch and the clean & jerk. However, his take on it is from a position of Girevoy Sport, after actually going to Russia to learn. There are very specific techniques on efficiency of movement to get the highest numbers possible in these two drills. He discusses body positioning, proper body mechanics, kettlebell positioning, etc. If your goal is to raise your numbers in these two exercises, this is what you’re looking for.

Nate Morrison

Nate also has two sections. One on breathing and one on posture alignment & mobility. There’s quite a bit on breathing techniques and when to use which ones.

In the posture alignment and mobility section, mobility refers to keeping your body mobile as a unit, not joint mobility as Steve Maxwell covers. Nate’s section here is more about finding (and taking advantage of) optimal combinations of stability and mobility. While a lot of the techniques are geared toward martial artists (refers to Systema a few times) and fighters, a lot can be learned by athletes and “regular folks” as well. He also discusses things like joint loading and impact.

The Negatives

I always try to be honest about things and point out the negatives as well. When I look at reviews, the first ones I usually look at are the one-star negative comments. This is where I figure I’ll get the “real story”. However, I really, honestly don’t have much negative to say about this set. Physically, the set comes in one normal DVD case, with all three DVDs stacked on (touching) each other. But, the case was obviously designed to hold them that way. That bugged me at first, but obviously it’s not a huge problem.

As for the content of the DVD, I only have a few, very slightly negative comments. There are a few spots where someone is talking and it fades out to the next bit. It’s obvious that no “meat” was missed, but I’d still like to hear where the comments went. I’d also like to have seen more of the instructors actually with the students, making comments on technique and such. There was some of this, but generally the instructor would call a person up to the front for demonstration. Now, that being said, I also realize that this was taken from a two-day workshop and STILL ended up at over 7-1/2 hours. Clearly, they had to do some serious editing. Overall, these are only minor issues on my part, and would probably just be considered “fluff” to most. As it is, this DVD set is all meat.

So, that’s the gist of what’s in the set – and believe me, I’m not doing it justice. It’s hard to cover everything in a review of a 7-1/2 hour DVD set. I’ll say that it’s a great deal of information. Granted, it’s not cheap, but do you have any idea what it would have cost to attend that workshop? If you are serious about your training, are an athlete, or a coach or personal trainer, you’d do well to pick it up. Also, Mike still has special pricing on this one – so order it quick. The Boys Are Back in Town Kettlebell Workshop DVD.

It was filmed during a workshop in Las Vegas, and is MUCH more than a kettlebell training DVD set. It ain’t cheap, but if you’re serious about your training, or are a personal trainer looking to expand your knowledge (and business), I highly recommend you check it out. You can read all about it here: Boys Are Back in Town Kettlebell Workshop DVD.

I didn’t want to write up a formal review until I’d seen it. However, since Mike currently has special pricing on it, I really wanted to tell you guys about it so you can take advantage of the discount.

I did get my copy a couple of weeks ago. I’ve only been able to watch about half of it so far, but it’s excellent – and not the same stuff you’ve heard before. New snatch and clean techniques (straight from Russia) by Steve Cotter to really raise your numbers. A different approach to pressing from Mike Mahler to improve your speed and explosiveness.

Before I ordered, I was concerned about the video and sound quality – since it was shot during a workshop. However, I have no issues at all. The workshop was indoors, and both the video and audio are great. Here’s a teaser video:

I won’t say any more about it here, you can find out for yourself at:

Boys Are Back in Town Kettlebell Workshop DVD

And remember – order now for special pricing!

The Evolution of Cardio

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

I’ve been meaning to write this email for a long time. Today I’m
going to give you the story of how I solved the problem of getting an efficient and effective fat loss program finished in 45 minutes. Essentially, how I invented Turbulence Training.

And then I’ll end with a sample TT workout for you…

But first, let’s take a trip down memory lane to the winter of
98-99. I was but a lowly grad student, studying the effects of
androstenedione (the supplement taken by the might Mark McGwire during his record-breaking home run quest in ’98).

In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February of ’99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy radio-active isotopes.

And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I’d get there at
7am, and record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of
mad science. And if I wasn’t there, I was downstairs in the
medical library, studying papers on testosterone and training.

Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary
lifestyle didn’t sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a
degree in Exercise Physiology and left with no time for exercise.
Or so I thought.

Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of
“down-time” while the lab’s gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.

That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.

As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit
and to avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a
sedentary environment. And I also had to stay true to the
high-school bodybuilder I once was, so there was no way I was
willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of those long-cardio, low
protein fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.

Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working with athletes as the school’s Strength & Conditioning Coach.

I knew that sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss
than slow cardio, and I knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing sprints (but you can’t increase sprint performance by doing aerobic training).

So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio.

I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in
the summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.

The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short
amount of time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and
therefore I could only spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.

Now onto the strength training portion of the workouts. I knew that a high-volume bodybuilding program wasn’t going to cut it – I just didn’t have time. But in the past year I had read so many lifting studies, that I knew exactly what exercises I needed to do to maximize my lifting time in the gym.

Those exercises were standing, multi-muscle, movements such as squats, presses, rows, power cleans, and plenty of other standing single-leg exercises. I knew that those exercises would bring me far more results than those people sitting on machines would ever achieve.

And I also knew that I had to lift heavier than the average Joe or Jane Gym-goer lifts. I just knew that doing lighter weights and high-reps wasn’t going to cut it. And a research study from 2001 later showed that I was right – when women did 8 reps per set, they had a significantly greater increase in post-workout metabolism than if they did 15 reps per set.

So I had my plan. Bust my tail over to the gym, through the cold, dreary Canadian winter afternoon, and do a quick but thorough warmup (specific to my lifts – none of that 5 minutes on the treadmill waste of time).

Once I got through the warm-up, I did as many sets as I could in the remainder of the 20 minutes for strength training.

At that point, I knew that supersets were the only way to go if I
wanted to maximize the number of sets I could do…so the
non-competing superset of Turbulence Training was put in place.

By non-competing, I mean that the 2 exercises in the superset don’t interfere with one another. So you can use upper and lower body exercises together, or pushing and pulling exercises. Just be careful not to use two grip-intensive exercises together in a superset – otherwise, one exercise will suffer, if not both.

And then I followed up the strength training with intervals, as I
knew these had to follow the lifting, otherwise it would not be the correct exercise order. Remember, intervals first leads to
premature fatigue. Lift first, cardio later. Forget that old wives
tale about doing cardio first to burn more fat. That’s junk.

You know, I remember the exact day and exact workout that this all came together into the Turbulence Training program. It hit me as I was finishing my intervals. I knew I had found something that was like fat loss magic.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a way to put it in a pill. But I’ve
been able to put it down on paper in all of the TT manuals.

The exact workout I used that day went like this…

Warm-up
1 set of Bodyweight Squats
1 set of pushups
1 set of Squats with the empty bar
1 set of light dumbbell chest presses
1 set of moderate weight barbell squats
1 set of moderate weight dumbbell chest presses

Strength Training Superset #1
Barbell Squats paired with Dumbbell Chest Presses
3 supersets, aiming for 8 reps per side per set

Strength Training Superset #2
DB Rows paired with Barbell Forward Lunges
3 supersets, aiming for 8 reps per set

Stationary Bike Intervals
After a warmup, I did 6 intervals of 45 seconds work and 45 seconds rest, finishing with a cool-down.

And from that point in time, I’ve tried to share this and all the
other Turbulence Training workouts with as many men and women as possible. The same men and women that I would see day-in and day-out performing the same ineffective slow-cardio fat loss programs, and not making a darn change month after month. And every day they would see me, soaked in sweat, feeling great and looking lean, and finishing another TT workout.

Eventually I noticed these other men and women weren’t around as consistently as before, and then soon enough they would drop out completely – after all, they weren’t getting results with their slow cardio and aerobics classes (yep, those were still around in ’99!).

And so here we are today…thousands of TT users later, with
national fitness magazines like Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, and
Shape spreading the good word about Turbulence Training.

Thousands of TT users, dozens of personal trainers, and even
several national fitness magazines all agree with me, Turbulence
Training is the #1 way to fast fat loss.

Thanks for being a part of the TT Lifestyle Revolution, and for
sharing this new and improved fat loss training and cardio system with the world.

So when you see someone frustrated with their ineffective fat loss program, tell them there is a better way. It’s research-based, efficient, and most of all, effective. And yes, it goes against the crowd. But it works.

And it’s now better than ever,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS – Don’t know where to start?

If you are a beginner, start by reading Dr. Mohr’s nutrition
guidelines…eating properly will be the biggest factor in your
early success.

Beginners should also start with the Introductory TT workouts to prepare their muscles for the upcoming intense training.

For others, it’s best to start with the Intermediate Level TT
workouts. If those aren’t enough of a challenge, you can move onto the Original TT workout and follow the 16-week advanced program right through.

If at any time you need a break, try the TT Bodyweight 4-week plan.

And then finish off with the bonus programs to cap off a full 24 weeks of Advanced TT fat loss workouts.
About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com.

Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Men’s Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss secrets. Since most times the magazines just don’t have enough space to run my full tips, I thought I’d give you a more detailed explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I didn’t send to the magazine).

Secret #1 – Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure my workouts. Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main source of energy. So it’s obvious the workout is designed to burn carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your “target heart
rate zone” for fat burning (aka – the fat burning zone). The whole idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated
trainers in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your “fat
burning heart rate zone”).

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather than fat? In order to burn more calories after the workout, that’s why. When you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

Alwyn Cosgrove calls this ‘afterburn’, and I call it ‘Turbulence’.
By any name it gives you the same results – maximum
improvements in your body composition (helping you lose fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 – Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout. My workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 – Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don’t use low-intensity, fast pedaling
‘spinning’ intervals as I’m convinced that the hard, resistance
based intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only
cycle against a strong resistance in their intervals.

I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to do
intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau, try the bike.

Secret #4 – Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn’t really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss. But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and fiber intake, and you’ll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you’ll love the new
Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details…

Secret #5 – My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective – getting you in and out of the gym in
under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase

- use these tips for 2 weeks then return to your normal training
schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you’ll learn from Dr. Mohr…

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet (p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods – find out which food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr’s 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com.